Electric-wire coupling



(No Model.)

W. B. LILLARD.

ELECTRIC WIRE COUPLING.

No. 468,086. Patented Feb. 2, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'WILLIAM B. LIL'LARD, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

ELECTRIC-WIRE COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,086, dated February 2, 1892.

' Application filed Apri120, 1891. Serial No. 389,728. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM BoHoN LIL- LARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Coupling for Electric Wires between Railway-Cars; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to improvements in couplings for connecting electric wires between railway-cars; and the novelty will be fully understood from the following description arid claim when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved electric-wire coupler, the sections thereof being connected. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same, and Figs. 3 and 4 are t Views of the coupling-sections disconnected.

Referring by letter to the said drawings, A indicates one of the coupling-sections, which is preferably formed from a single piece of material and comprises the shank O and the parallel branches E and E, the branch E of which is hollow and is longitudinally slotted, as illustrated. This branch E, which is designed in operation to seat the solid branch of the other coupling-section, is provided ad jacent its free end with raised buttons or sock-' ets F, designed to receive and seat lugs upon the solid branch of the other section. The branch E of the section A is of a greater length than the branch E and is provided at a suitable point in its length with lugs G, for a purpose presently set forth.

The coupling-section B is of a construction similar to the construction of the section A,

with the exception that both of its parallel branches are of an equal length, whereby it will be readily perceived that when the two sections are connected the joint between the two will be broken, thus affording a strong and safe connection.

D indicates electric wires, which are suitably secured in the shanks C of the respective sections.

From the construction described it will be readily perceived that the sections may be readily connected and automatically locked by introducing the respective solid branches into the respective slotted hollow branches until the lugs G of said solid branches engage the buttons or raised portions F of the hollow slotted sections, when the two sections will be locked together and a coupling of the wires eltected.

Vhat I clain1'isi A coupling for electric wires, comprising the section A, having the shank, the longitudinally-slotted hollow branch provided with raised or struck-up portions at a suitable point in its length, and the solid branch provided with lugs or projections at a suitable point in its length, and the section B, having the shank, the longitudinally-slotted hollow branch provided with raised or struck-up portions at a suitable point in its length, and the solid branch provided with lugs or projections at a suitable point in its length, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

YVILLIAM B. LILLARD.

Witnesses:

HELMUTH I-IoLTz, PERCY D. PARKs. 

